Optical transceiver and method for image density measurement

Abstract

An optical transceiver measures optical density of a toned image. The optical transceiver comprises: a) a bifurcated optical bundle having first and second branches and a common end, each branch having a first plurality of fibers and a second plurality of fibers, respectively, wherein the branches are intermixed in the common end; b) a radiation source for producing radiation, wherein the radiation source is aligned with the first branch; c) a detector for detecting the radiation, wherein the detector is aligned with the second branch; and d) a toner receptor having a surface, wherein the toned image is on the surface and the toner receptor is aligned with the common end.

1. An optical transceiver for measuring optical density of a toned image, said optical transceiver comprising:
 a) an at least bifurcated optical bundle having at least a first branch and a second branch and a common end, each of said first and second branches having a first plurality of fibers and a second plurality of fibers, respectively, wherein fibers from said first branch and fibers from said second branch are intermixed in said common end; 
 b) a source of radiation, wherein said radiation source is optically aligned with said first branch; 
 c) a detector for detecting said radiation and providing data to a processor, wherein said detector is optically aligned with said second branch; and 
 d) a toner receptor having a surface, 
 wherein said toned image is on said surface and said toner receptor is optically aligned with said common end and the processor using a color specific look up table to evaluating density in plated toner on said toner receptor. 
 
   
   
     2. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , further comprising a system that moves said surface with respect to said common end. 
   
   
     3. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said radiation source comprises a light emitting diode. 
   
   
     4. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said radiation source comprises a solid state laser diode. 
   
   
     5. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said radiation source comprises a white light source. 
   
   
     6. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said detector comprises a photodiode. 
   
   
     7. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said detector comprises a phototransistor. 
   
   
     8. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said detector comprises a photomultiplier tube. 
   
   
     9. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said toner receptor comprises a photoreceptor. 
   
   
     10. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said toner receptor comprises an intermediate transfer member. 
   
   
     11. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said toner receptor according to  claim 1 , wherein said toner receptor comprises a paper. 
   
   
     12. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said toner receptor comprises a roll. 
   
   
     13. An optical transceiver according to  claim 12 , wherein said roll is a developer roll. 
   
   
     14. An optical transceiver according to  claim 12 , wherein said roll further comprises a photoreceptor. 
   
   
     15. An optical transceiver according to  claim 1 , wherein said toned image is a color image. 
   
   
     16. The optical transceiver of  claim 1  wherein optical fibers from the first branch and the second branch are arranged in a circular pattern in said common end. 
   
   
     17. The optical transceiver of  claim 13  wherein optical fibers from the first branch and the second branch are arranged in a circular pattern in said common end. 
   
   
     18. A method for measuring optical density of a toned image, said method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing radiation from a radiation source, wherein said radiation has stable intensity; 
 b) providing an at least bifurcated optical bundle having at least a first branch and a second branch of fibers and a common end, each branch of fibers having a first plurality of fibers and a second plurality of fibers, respectively, wherein said branches are intermixed in said common end; 
 c) optically aligning said common end with a toner receptor having a surface, wherein said toned image is on said surface; 
 d) emitting said radiation from said radiation source through said first branch and out of said common end to said surface; 
 e) receiving radiation reflected from said surface into fibers in the second branch by a detector, wherein said detector generates an electrical signal depending upon the intensity of radiation detected 
 f) moving the toned surface with respect to said common end; 
 g) generating and storing a color specific look up table by evaluating density in a test patch of plated toner on said toner receptor; 
 h) adjusting imaging process parameters in a process used to generate a toned image in accordance to values at look up table. 
 
   
   
     19. A method for measuring optical density of a toned image, said method comprising the steps of:
 a) providing radiation from a radiation source, wherein said radiation has stable intensity; 
 b) providing an at least bifurcated optical bundle having at least a first branch and a second branch of fibers and a common end, each branch of fibers having a first plurality of fibers and a second plurality of fibers, respectively, wherein said branches are intermixed in said common end; 
 c) optically aligning said common end with a toner receptor having a surface, wherein said toned image is on said surface; 
 d) emitting said radiation from said radiation source through said first branch and out of said common end to said surface; 
 e) receiving radiation reflected from said surface into fibers in the second branch by a detector, wherein said detector generates an electrical signal depending upon the intensity of radiation detected 
 f) moving the toned surface with respect to said common end; 
 g) generating and storing a color specific look up table by evaluating density in a test patch of plated toner on said toner receptor; 
 h) adjusting imaging process parameters in a process used to generate a toned image in accordance to values at look up table, 
 wherein steps d) through h) are repeated for each color of multi-color printing process. 
 
   
   
     20. An optical transceiver for measuring optical density of a toned image, said optical transceiver comprising:
 a) an optical bundle having at least a first branch and a second branch of optical fibers and a common end, each of the first branch and the second branch having a first plurality of optical fibers and a second plurality of optical fibers, respectively, wherein optical fibers from the first branch and the second branch are distributed across a cross-section of the common end; 
 b) a radiation source, wherein said radiation source is optically aligned with the first branch and transmitted through said first branch; 
 c) a detector for detecting said radiation, wherein said detector is optically aligned with the second branch and receives radiation from said second branch; 
 d) a toner receptor having a surface, wherein said toned image is on said toner receptor surface and said toner receptor is optically aligned with said common end; and 
 e) a microprocessor for receiving and storing radiation data from said detector and for determining the position of said common end with respect to said toner receptor.